Happy new year from UKNB! I'm personally looking forward to spring arriving and the burst of greenery and life that brings, but in the meantime I got a great Christmas present in the form of the RSPB's "Wildlife of Britain" book, quite accurately subtitled "The Definitive Visual Guide".

Published by Dorling Kindersley, this is a weighty hardback tome of over 500 pages. Most of those pages are smothered with photographs of wildlife, and that's what really stands out about this book. The sheer number and quality of photographs makes it indispensable as an identification guide or for joyous browsing. As well as the endless pages on individual species (covering mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, invertebrates, plants, trees and fungi) there are sections on six major habitat types of the UK, though I wasn't so fussed about those bits.

It doesn't cover every last exotic species to be found, and the amount of text for each individual species is relatively limited, but if I was allowed just one UK wildlife identification book then this might well be it for the sheer coverage and all-round quality.

If you've got Christmas money burning a hole in your pocket, you can buy it from Amazon (amongst others):